Chromium recovery



Patented Aug. 7, 1945-v '.natural ore oi'iinencss such that a 1 1 Uni-rep 'oiiitoisiuiuitiico'viiiiiz.

' manhunt-cement."

No Application August scism. 851.128

(care-so) chromium and has iorcanobiect the provision oi certain improvements in tor produce in: compoimds. A-particular obiect a, mo;

substantial recovery or the form or chromatc can be made isexpensive, and even under optimum conditions of grinding orsubdivis'ion', an excessive amount 0! lime, or similar .ot the invention is to provide certain improve: s reagent or diluent, is required to preventundements in processes for producing chromate comsirabie 'sintering or fusion which interfere pounds. Amrther object oi the invention is to "with, prevent or inhibit the oxidation reactions.

provide an improved method oi treating chromite v Under optimum, conditions 'wlth i'espect to nneores for the production of chromate compounds.- arindins or subdivision of natural-chromite ores, invention iurther contemplates the treataccordincto heretofore customary the 'ment or materials 'containi'ns spinelscomprising roasting or oxidation charges may require lime 4 oxide,'alumina'and chromic oxide to pro-' (CaO) amountina to three and oiie-hiili times duoe altered apinel products-containing ferrous as much as the ore. by weight. Buchcharges "oxide and alumina in proportions, relatively to are undesirably large involume and weight, and

oxide, smaller than in ,the spinels pt they limit materi lir he enectivecapwi yoi the the orlsin'al chromium-bearing material and v roasting. or-oxidiains equipment.

I oxio'ation'oi the altered spinel products to pror- The present invention is b d in ou on my dues chromate compounds. Anotherobject or v discovervthat chromium-bearingmaterials oithe the. inventionis to providejan nature 01 chromite'ore can be made-moreamena so: alumina iromchromite ores; t e t treatme t rtile product o of eliminate 'iheinve'ntion'involves the treatment'hycxida, compounds it a charge-0i the or and limein I i-tion. oji altered chromium-bearing materiaiih oontrolled-amounts-or prop r ions iii heated to e which-chronic oxide icnoiiccntsinco therein a temperature atleast suiiiciently high to sinter is; so associated with one or more basic comconstituents of the charge and the resultant pound a to facilitate oxidation of the'chromic 2| product thereai'ter'is subiectedto adecomposition to chromium trioxide (0:01) andcombina c treatmentwith an alkali metal ,oompoimd such,

,.' o'tthe'chromium trioxi'de thus produced with I tor"example. as caustic soda (NaOH) or sodium one'or'more basic compounds to form one or *carbonate (NssCOsL The hestinsoi the charge morechromates. Alteration of crude chromiumo! ore and lime maybe merely suiiicient'to bring material, may be elected by subiectins Q" about a sinterins of constituents of the charge or:

materiaitoahuion-treatmentintheW' maybe sumcientlyintense to cause a melting oi coiabasiccompoundsuch-as iima (CaO). Oxid's-T the charge. "The term iusion treatment" or $1 wh c rled out under any suitable con-j similarterms, hereinafter sometimes are used as v ditions and in the presenceioi any suitable 35 a generic term to reier 'to'a heatinz' treatment cspable-otcombininz with chr m m which may be oi such inteneityasfmereiy to trioll P10611081 in the oxidation, treatm sinte'r constituents oi the charceror sui'iicicntly, -v

oilthebhromate compounds irom the intense tocause a melting or the charge.v The ,associatedmster alsm y faccomplished ii -an; iusion treatment results in brlnsins or suitablemanne'r. 1 lime or lime and magnesia into chemical comh chmmi o chromite usually is mebination with chromic-oxide normally chemically" ent in the splriel tape ne 8 f combined withierrous oxide, and in the produch w end the 8 materials 2 tion. of calcium compounds of iron, altnninum,

m w h miner in the 11mm! 0011 chromium and silicon such. for example, as caliein s li 810: m (Mum and alumina cium 'ierrite, calcium aluminate and calcium sili- 14 have 101 thst, in s me instances, cats. The 'i'usion treatmentcalso iii capable oi in the Ore e 4 mined is present in the concentrating' chromium-bearing minerals into' sansue material's combined with carbon dioxide relatively lmer m1 of high n mflw as maanesiume r t-usu ll h meswhich may be separated ii-om associated gansuo main of materials is all 01' lone so materials by ordinary concentrationmethods. com with er and alumina, Probably The decomposition treatment with an autaii ls m u -alumlnum-ailicste- 11 811911 metal compound appears to eii'ect physical dechromite ore, the sauna-materials are so widely composition or calciumcompounds of iron, W 4 "i t intermixed with! :aluminum, chromium and silicon formed in the. spi els at a hizh decree 91-1 x da o t fusion treatment with the production or. simp chromium of the chromite die in a reasonable oxides of those elements, 7

period of time i im sible u theoreris Products resulting from the iusion and '7 a und virtually to an impalpable powd reh composition treatments of the invention may be.

carefully and thoroughly mixed with 'basic come oxidized eii'ectiveiy in oxidation charges containp llkellme i d rm 0f the 1d, i'nzsubstantiallysmaller amountsoi lime or other j diluent material than the amounts required to -'after suitable treatment for the j themelting pound. it suitably decomposed product may be ..ment's in accordance with the invention. I am able to obtain concentrates comprising altered spinel type minerals which altered minerals con- -tain chromic oxide in greater proportions bysubjected to the decomposition treatment with an alkali metal compound in any suitable manner. In a preferred process of the invention. the

' product of the fusion treatment is digested with a caustic aqueous solution of the alkali metal compound at a boiling temperature. The prodnot of the fusion treatment preferably is ground to form a finely divided product consisting largely of particles small enough to pass a loo-mesh screen prior to being subjected to the decomposition treatment. Solutions of'any suitable concentrations may be employed. Digestion maybe carried out for any period of time-necessary to accomplish eflective decomposition. Usually. di-L gestion for a period of one hour to one and onehalf hours accomplishes effective decomposition. The strength of solution employ will be determined to some extent, at least, b results sought to be accomplished. Thus, for example. 'if alumina recovery is desired, relatively strong solutions are employed. when recovery of alumina is not desirable, relatively dilute solutions are employed. Solutions containing not'mors than about twenty percent by weight of alkali metal compound can be empl yed-tmdecompose the fused pr uc fl elrmitbqut. any substantial amounts-;of,;.alumlna therein. solutions containing about twenty-five percent or more I can be enclosed t with the production of sodi In ores l'owiin alumina. .orwhenalumina is not I prefer-4:0 employ relatively dilutedeoomposition solutions containing about ten totwenty, weight of the alkali metal compound. icaustiesodavand sodium carbonate may be employed with about ut flyith he" equal en'ectiveness.

After digestionofthe v decomposition solution. the productiaflltered' to taining mineralsof the spinel and thereafter subjecting the product of the fusion treatment to. decomposition and concentration treatweight and. chromium and iron in-higher ratios of chromium to. iron than the spinel type minerals of the original chromium-bearing materials. The altered mineral products ofv my invention may be sumciently free of ferrous oxide and-and alumina to approximate true magnesium chromite in composition or they may contain ferrousv oxide and aluminain controlled relatively small amounts. v

The invention may be employed in the treatment of chromite ores of any grade, but it is of particular importance with respect to the matter of utilizing the so-called low-grade ores, that is. ores containing low percentages of chromium and ores which contain iron and chromium in ratios ofiron'to chromium too high to permit them to be utilised for the recovery of chromium for industrial uses in processes of the type employed heretofore for chromium recovery. The invention presents a solution of the problem of utilisation of such so-called low-grade ores. a solution of major importance to countries requirin'g' chromium for industrial use but having available" only deposits of low-grade ores. The invention provides a further specific advantage of impormateriall"" 'lie' send and mixed with lime or lim e and by grinding if necessary. to" prepare acharge-suitable for oxidation. The separated solution may be. returned tothe for-further use directly or recovery, of any;

The product of the fusion treatment be subjected to ,the action-oi the alkali metal compound by mixing the product of the fusion treat- 'ment-with the alkali meta'l compound and thereter heating the mixture to a temperature above temperature of the alkali metal co obtained by digestin the product of the heat treatment with water and filtering to separate the resulting solution andthe solid material.

Q1 fusing chromium-bearing materials con.

tance by'permitting the use of combustion furnaceain preliminary fusion treatments to-condition chromite ores for subsequent concentration treatments with recovery of high-grade concen- T aw sssi; i e' q i m s t i utilisationiontheip'roduction of chromate; comof products resulting from fusion and decomposition treatments of chromite oresand thei'utilizaflon {911 the production; of chromate compounds of concentrates .obtained as the-result of concentration'treatments' of products resulting 1.; fromlfusion' andj'jdecomposition treatments of chromite ores. Chromate production processes and ch mate'reooveryprocessesare facilitated by the of concentrates because of the smaller charges which may be employed and because the absence of gangue materials which normally ac-' company chromite, ores promotes more-effective contact of reagents and solvents.

My researches and-experiments haveindicated that when achrom'i'te' ore isfusedwith'limeicaleium oxide) there is a displacement of the magnesia of the silicate'portion of chromii'a ore from its combinations with silica .and alumina and displacementgin turn,- of'the' ferrom oxide from the sp "ei by the magnesia' displace V combinations'with silica'and alumina. It appears, also; that there results a rearrangementof the and silica-in the presence of .the'lime with the production of calciumaluminum-silicate. tendencyo'fthe alumina (A1101) is to divide-between the silicate and chromite portions with a somewhat greater per-t centage inthe'silicai When the lime is present in the charge in amount sumcien't to displace all of the magnesia combined with silica or to form dicalcium silicate with the silica'present' in the charge, the product of thefusion ztreat-- ment "will have the characteristic or property of self-disintegration When a charge "comprising chromite ore subjected to afusion treatment in the presence accuse of lime, the ore is altered or .converted from a substantially acid-insoluble product to a product which may be dissolved or broken down with acids and which may be decomposed or broken down with alkali metal compounds such as caustic soda and sodium carbonate. The degree of conversion depends upon the amount of. lime employed. With a small amount of lime, the impurities associated with the spinel type mineral of the ore become susceptible to attack by acids and alkalimetal compounds, and, as the amount of lime employed is increased, the alumina of the spinel type mineral is displaced or removed and enters into combination with the excess lime.

As the amount of lime is increased, there is also a tendency for the chromium oxide to become acid soluble, and, conceivably, the entire chromic oxide content of an ore can be rendered acid-soluble through the use of lime in suflicient quantity. The progressively increasing susceptibility of the ore to attack by acids with increasing solubility of the chromic oxide through the use of progressively increased amounts of lime may be attributed to progressive alteration of the spinel type mineral of the ore with lime first causing (indirectly) displacement ofthe ferrous oxide, and magnesia/substituting for the displaced ferrous oxide, then with alumina being abstracted more and more from the spinel type mineral until the spinel type mineral approaches or reaches the form of a true magnesium chromite (spinel) contaminated to some extent with small amounts of ferrous. oxide, calcium chromite and alumina, and, ultimately with decomposition of the magnesium chromite spinel and the production of calcium chromite and other mineral bodies of. indeterminate compositions. The altered spinel type mineral crystallizes in the fused product in particles of sufllcient mass and suillciently free of contamination with other mindifferent magnetic susceptibilities and, there-.

fore, magnetic separation methods may be adopted for separation and recovery of the spinels.

The inclusion of chromium-free acid components such as alumina in charges to be subjected to the fusion treatments of the invention preferably is avoided unless provision is made for' preventing introduction of such components into the altered spinel type minerals produced, as the introduction of such components into thealter'ed mlnerals tends to inhibit oxidation of the chromic oxide contained therein. The preferred charges of the invention (for the fusion'treatmentsl consist of chromite ore and a suitable basic com 1 ponent such as lime. When a disintegrating product is sought, silica'may be included if nec essary, and. if fractional reduction of displaced ferrous oxide-is desired, a reducing agent.suehas coke may be'included in :the charge to be treated.

Magnesium oxide may be employed instead of calcium oxide to effect direct displacement of the ferrous oxide from the spinel type mineral, but

I prefer to employ calcium oxide or calcium ox-- ide and magnesium oxide together, rather than magnesium oxide alone because of advantages I in furnace operating characteristics and the properties of the altered ore resulting from the use of lime (calcium oxide). The invention will be described hereinafter more particularly with respect to the use of lime in the fusion treatment. The lime may be employed as such in the fusion and oxidizing treatments of the invention, that is, as calcium oxide, or it may be employed in the carbonate or other form which will be converted to the oxide form in the fusion treatment and in the oxidizing treatment.

As already has been indicated, fusion of a charge containing lime and chromite ore may be carried out at a relatively low temperature of incipient fusion at which a product in the form of clinker will be produced, or, fusion of the charges may be carried out at a relatively high.

temperature at which a product in the form of a molten bath will be produced. Fusion treatments of the invention may be carried out in any suitable type of furnace or heating'equipment. For heating charges to temperatures of incipient fusion, I prefer to employ combustion heated furnaces of the type of cement kilns, and, for heating charges to melting temperatures, I prefer to employ the submerged arc type electric furnace. Other types of combustion furnaces which may be employed for fusion include cu poles and blast furnaces.

If: the lime is present in the charge in an amount less than or substantially in excess of the amount required to form d ica1ciiim silicate, the product of the fusion treatment may not possess the property of self-disintegration. Also, if the amount of silica present in the charge is not sufficient to permit the formation of a substantial amount of di-calcium silicate, the product of the fusion treatment may not be self-disintegrating,

but, on the contrary, may set from the fused state as a hard, vitreous mass when the fusion treatment is carried out at a temperature sumciently high to form a molt en product, or as hard, vitreous clinkers when the fusion treatment is carried out at a relatively low temperature of incipient fusion.

The amount of lime employed in the fusion tr atment may be controlled merely to form calcium compounds of the iron oxide, alumina and silica associated with the chromic oxide of the ore and with the-production of altered spinel type minerals containing substantially all of the chromic oxide of the ore, or, the amount of lime employed may be controlled to form calcium chromite with any portion or all of the chromic oxide of the ore. The alkali decomposition treat ment of the invention effectively decomposes calcium compounds, such'as calcium ferrite, calcium aluminate, calcium silicate and calcium chromite, formed in the fusion treatment with the production of simple oxides such as ferric oxide, alumina, silica and chromic oxide. It appears that altered spinel type minerals such as magnesium chromite produced in the fusion treatments are not decomposed to any substantial extent by the alkali decomposition treatment.

- In preparing chromium-bearing materials for subsequent treatment by oxidation methods to produce ehromate compounds, I may employ lime in any suitable amount. When the product of the fusion and decomposition treatments is to 'be subjected to an oxidation treatment without concentration, I may employ lime in such an amount as to effect the production, of a self-disintegrating fused product, in an amount insuilicient to eii'ect the production of a self-disintegrating product, orin an amount in excess of the amoimt which will effect the production of a selfdisintegrating product. When lime is employed in an amount in excess of the amount required to eii'ect the production of a self-disintegrating product, I may provide lime in amount equivalent to or, preferably, in an amount in excess of the amount equivalent to two molecules of calcium ,oxide :er fe's h moleculeof chromic oxide, iron oxide, aluminum oxide and silica present in the lime to a temperature of incipient fusion .(cement kiln temperatures of about l350'C. to 1500" C.) under non-reducing conditions to form an'altered ore product containing all of the iron and chromium of the original chromite ore.

In another preferred process of my invention, employing reducing conditions during the fusion treatment, I practice controlled reduction, re-

' ducing the major portion of the'iron of the dismay be added in the charge subjected to the fusion treatment and the remainder may be mixed with the solid product of the decomposition treatment prior to commencement of the oxidation treatment. v

In view of widely diflerent characteristics of chromite ores from various sources, it usually is advisable to conduct preliminary laboratory tests in order to determine the charge compositions and operating conditions which will produce optimum results in plant operations.

In preparing chromium-bearing materials by means of fusion treatments for subsequent treatment by concentration methods, it is advisable to employ lime in such amounts and proportions as to eifect the desired alteration of the spinel with minimum conversion of the chromic oxide to the acid-soluble condition consistent P with economioal'operatiomunder the economic conditions peculiar to the,locality in which con-- eentration is to be carried out.

In practicing the invention, fusion of a charge I comprising chromite ore and lime may be carried out under neutral, oxidizing or reducing condi tions. If fusion of the charge is carried out under controlled reducing conditions, some, or even substantially all, of the iron of the displaced ferrous oxide of the ferrous chromite may be reduced preferentially to the metallic state, leaving a large proportion, or even substantially all,

of the chromium unreduced. When the fusion treatment is carried out at a temperature such that the charge becomes molten, the metallic iron and the unreduced chromium may be contained in separable molten metal and slag layers, respectively, and they may be separated by procedures well known inthe metallurgical art. When the fusion treatment is carried out at a relatively low temperature of incipient fusion and under reducing conditions, the metallic iron formed will be distributed in the form of small particles throughout theresidual non-metallic material containing the unreduced chromium. Separation of the metal particles from the nonmetallic material may be accomplished by any suitable means.

In a preferred process of my invention, I simply heat the charge comprising chromite ore and placed ferrous oxide and leaving unreduced the major portion of the chromium of the original ore. I thus obtain a metallic iron product relatively lowin chromium and a non-metallic altered ore product benetlciated with respect to chromium by virtue of an increase in the ratio of chromium to iron resulting from the preferential or selective reduction of theiron of the original ore.

When the fusion treatment is carried out at a temperature such that the charge becomes molten, controlled reduction may be practiced by ineluding in the charge the amount of .carbonaceous material required to reduce the amount of iron sought to be reduced. t v

In the foregoing discussioml have advanced a theory, which seems. to be supported by experimental results, in an eiIort to explain the mechanismof alteration of chromite ore resulting from fusion of the ore with lime, but it is to be understood that I do not wish to be bound or limited by theoretical considerations. The results of my researches and experimentations definitely establish the fact of alteration resulting from fusion of chromite ore with lime. As the result of such fusion treatments, the iron of the ferrous oxide of chromite ore becomes more amenable to selective or preferential reduction by common reducing agents;v the chromium of the chromic oxide of chromite "ore becomes more readily oxidizable; the ferrous oxide of the chromite ore becomes more susceptible to attack by acids; compounds are formed which are readily decomposed into simple compounds such as oxides by treatment with an alkali metal compound suchas caustic soda or sodium carbonate; and the chromic oxide becomes more amenable to recovery by ordinary concentration methods.

In processes involving melting of the charges. the original charge materials may be employed in any suitable particle sizes. In processes involving sintering (incipient fusion) of the charges, the charge materials, preferably are employed in the form of particles small enough to pass a mesh screen or even small enough to pass a 200-mesh screen. (Screen sizes referred to in this application are based on the Tyler series.)

In treating any of the products of fusion treatments to form concentrates, I first employ an alkali treatment to decompose the fused product.

'and I may follow the alkali treatment with a gravity or flotation or equivalent concentration treatment to recover a concentrate containing the'altered spinel type mineral, or, I may treat the residue with acid to remove additional contaminants and form a relatively high grhde chromium concentrate. Concentrates obtained by means of gravity or flotation or equivalent concentration treatments may be further treated with acid to remove contaminants and improve, the grade. Excess acid and dissolved and separated matter may be washed from the residual altered mineral by means of a water treatment or any other suitable treatment. The alumina-bearing residual products of the various concentration residue remaining after separation of the sodium treatments after separation of the chromium concentrates may be treated by any known method for the recovery of alumina. The fusion treatment with lime so conditions the alumina as to make it more readily recoverable by the usual alumina recovery processes involving the use of compounds of alkali metals to form alkali metal aluminates.

In treating the products with acid, I may employ any suitable acid in any suitable concentration capable of eil'ecting the degree of decomposition sought to be accomplished. I have found tirely suitable. Aqueous solutions containing about ten to thirty percent to 30%) hydrochloric acid (H01) or sulphuric acid (H2804) can be employed to produce good results at temperatures ranging from ordinary atmospheric temperatures to boiling temperatures. Sulphuric acid treatments may be followed by roasting or fuming treatments at elevated temperatures to promote more eflective decomposition of the products and subsequently to decompose or break down sulphate compounds produced.

The following example illustrates the production and recovery ofa chromium concentrate and an alumina product when a fusion treatment is followed by treatment of the resulting product with an alkali metal compound:

Example I A high-alumina ore of the following analysis was mixed with lime (0110) in theproportions,

' one hundred (100) parts of ore to thirty (30) parts of lime (both by weight) and the mixture was ground to minus 100-mesh and slntered at about 1350 C. to 1500 0.:

The sintered product in finely divided condi tion, was boiled at atmospheric pressure. with an aqueous solution of caustic soda (NaOH) containi-ng' about 25 to. 30 percent by weight of hydrochloric acid. and sulphuric acid "to be enaluminate solution to a water concentration treatment to remove or separate silica and the hydroxides of iron and calcium.

The followingexample illustrates a process of the invention employing sodium carbonate as the alkali metal compound in the decomposition treatment and in which the "product of the decomposition treatment is subjected to a gravity concentration treatment to produce a chromium concentrate:

. Emmple II Ore analysis: Per cent I 0mm 44.00 FeO 23.60 A120; -l 13.80 SiOz 6.20 MgO 8.30 CaO 3.02

- -To 100 of ore of the above composition, I

- added 50 parts lime stone (53% CaO), both the ore and lime stone being crushed preferably to minus l00- mesh, and sintered at about 1300 C, The sintered'product, in finely divided form. was then decomposed by boiling with sodium carbonate solution, containing about twenty percent of-s0dlum carbonate, by weight in a nonoxidizing .environment. After boiling forapproximately 1 hour, the solution was filtered from the residue. 'The residue which consisted of flocculated oxides of iron,- lime, alumina and Ore. analysis: Percent CmOi 33.00

FeO -.-..L 13.90

caustic soda. A solution containing about '15 5 percent of the alumina in the form of sodium aluminate was obtained upon boiling for about 20 minutes. The sodium aluminate solution was separated from the undissolved residue and treated according to a known method for the recovery of substantially pure alumina with regeneration of the caustic soda.

The residue remaining after separation of the sodium aluminate solution was treated with acid to remove soluble lime and iron oxide. The acid-treatedresidue, amounting to 51.7 percent by weight of the sintered product, analyzed as follows:

Per cent Concentrate analysis:

. CrzOa 42.2 FleO 11.0 810: 1.5 A1203 8.7

CaO 2.5 M30 17.2

In practicing a process of the invention in- 'volving the treatment of a fusion product with caustic soda, of the type illustrated above, a saving in acid may be eflected by subjecting the silica and altered crystals of chromite was then concentrated by water concentration to produce a concentrate of chromite and a telling product containing waste oxides. The concentrate provduced analyzed 47% CH0: and 10.3% Re which gives a Cr. to Fe ratio of 3.12:1 as compared to 1.65:1 in the origi l ore.

The following example illustrates a process of I the invention employing sodium carbonate for decomposition and in which the product of the decomposition treatment is subjected directly (without concentration) to' an oxidizing treat ment to produce chromate:

. Example III I 100 parts of ore of the composition shown in Example II above (minus 100-mesh) and 100 parts 'of lime stone (minus 100-mesh) were mixed and sintered at about 1300 C. The

Y sinter was ground to pass a 100-mesh screen in a process for producing chromates employing preliminary fusion of chromite ore with lime but omitting the alkali decomposition step of the process of the present invention: 7

Example 1v arts of ore of the composition of that employed in Examples II and III above (minus 100-mesh) were mixed with 100 parts of lime I stone (minus 100-mesh and 53% CaO) and v Digestion was carried out at a boiling temperature in-a closed sintered at about 13000. The slntered product was ground to minus IOU-mesh with 150 parts of lime stone and 17.5 parts of soda ash and oxidized at 850 C. to 100 C. for one and onehalf hours. The conversion to chromate was approximately 82%.

The advantages" of the decomposition treat ment of the invention in conditioning the product of the fusion treatment for oxidation will be apparent. from a comparison of the results obtained in the procedures of Examples III and IV above. In the procedure of Example III employing decomposition following fusion and with other conditions the same as in Example IV, ninety-five percent conversion to chromate was accomplished as compared with eighty-two percent conversion in carrying out the procedure of Example IV.

assasse with lime sufllcient to form calcium chromate with all of the chromium present and thus convert substantially all of the chromium to calcium chromate. In effecting such a conversion, I prefer to roast the concentrate in air in the form of a A further advantage of the decomposition I treatment of the invention resides in the fact that effective conversion to chromate may be accomplished with the use of relatively small amounts of soda ash, lime in the charge providing the base for combination with the chromium trioxide produced. Effective conversion to chromate may be accomplished with charges comprising the decomposed product, lime and sodaash in which the amount of soda ash does not exceed that required for forming sodium chromate with about ten percent of the chromium of the charge.

Charges containing soda ash in amount equal to that required for forming sodium chromate with about fifty percent of thecharge may be oxidized readily and substantially completely. The use of relatively small amounts of soda ash in oxidation charges is highly advantageous because of elimination of fusing and balling difliculties encountered in oxidation of charges containing large amounts of soda ash.

' I may treat the .products of the fusion and decomposition treatments and the concentrates by any method known to the art of chromate production in order to effect oxidation of the chromium, and I may recover the oxidized chromium by any method known to the art of chromium recovery. The oxidized chromium may be recovered, for example (either as an intermediate product or as a final product) as chromite, chromate or bichromate of any suitable composition.

In treating the products of the fusion and decomposition treatments directly to produce chromates, I prefer to form finely divided admixtures of the products with lime orlime and soda ash and roast the mixtures in air at temperatures above about 750 C. and below about 1000 C.

until the desired degree or amount of conversion to chromate has been effected. I may employ lime and soda ash in any desiredproportions, depending upon the end product sought to be obtained. If a calcium chromate product is sought, I employ lime sufilcient to form calcium chromate with all of the chromium in the product of the decomposition treatment together with a small amount of soda ash (1- to 5 percent by weight) to magnesium chromite to calcium chromate.

finely divided admixture with lime (or lime and a small amount of soda ash) at a temperature below 1000 C. and above 750 C. to convert the A product thus formed may be treated for the recovery of a relatively pure chromate compound of any desired composition. Certain features of the disclosure of this application not claimed herein are disclosed and claimed in my copending applications Serial No. 244,697, filed December 8, 1938, now Patent No. 2,256,536, dated September 23, 1941; Serial No.

252,743, filed January 26, 1939. now Patent No.

2,359,697, dated October -3, 1944; Serial No. 401,297, filed July 5, 1941, and Serial No. 447,963, filed June 22, 19.42. M

In my Patent No. 2,359,697 I claimed broadly the formation of the altered or substituted chromite and its subsequent oxidation to chromate. In my copending application, Serial No. 401,297, I claim the decomposition of the altered or substituted chromite in the presence of an oxygen-containing gas so that a portion of the chromium thereof is oxidized to chromate. In my copending application, Serial No. 447,963, I claim the oxidation, in the presence of an alkali metal compound, of the solid residue resulting from the digestion of the altered chromite with an aqueous solution of an alkalii metal compound, to convert the chromium contained therein to an alkali metal compound of chromium containing chromium in the hexavalent state, and reducing the alkali metal compound of chromium to produce chromic oxide. i Y

I claim:

1. The method of recovering chromium which comprises forming a charge comprising chromium-bearing material containing ferrous chromite and a basic compound of the group consisting of lime and magnesia capable of substituting for the ferrous oxide of the ferrous chromite to displace the ferrous oxide from chemical combination with the chromic oxide of the ferrous chromite and form an altered chromite, heating the charge to a temperature above 1200 C., and at least sufficiently high to cause sintering of constituents of the charge and to produce a product containing an altered chromite formed by substitution of the basic compound for ferrous oxide of the chromite of the original chromiumbearing material, digesting the altered or substituted chromite in shot aqueous solution of an alkali-metal compound from the class consisting of sodium hydroxide and soda ash with resultant production of a solid residue in which most of the chromium thereof still is in the form of chromite, and recovering said residue.

2. The method of recovering chromium which comprises forming a charge comprising chromium-bearing material containing ferrous chromite and a basic compound of the group consisting of lime and magnesia capable of substituting for the ferrous oxide of the ferrous chromite to displace the ferrous oxide from chemical combination with the chromic oxide of the ferrous chromite and form an altered chromite, heating the charge to a temperature above 1200 C., and at least sufficiently high to cause a sintering of constituents of the charge and to produce a product containing an altered chromite formed by substitution of the basic compound for ferrous oxide of the chromite of the original chromium-bearing material, digesting the altered or substituted chromite in a hot aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide with resultant production of and a basic compound from the group conmite and a basic compound of the group consisting of lime and magnesia capable of substituting for the ferrous oxide of the ferrous chromite to displace the ferrous oxide from chemical combination with the chromic oxide of the ferrous chromite and form an altered chromite, heating the charge to a temperature above 1200 C,, and

at least sufiiciently high to cause a sintering'of constituents of the charge and to produce. a

product containing an altered chromite formed residue in which most of the chromium thereof still is in the form of chromite, and recovering said residue.

4. The method of recovering chromium which comprises forming a charge comprising chromium-bearing material containing ferrous chromite and a basic compound of the group consisting of lime and magnesia capable of substituting for the ferrous oxide of the ferrous chromite to displace the ferrous oxide from chemical combination with the chromic oxide of the ferrous chromite and form an altered chromite, heating the charge to-a temperature above 1200 C., and at least sufllciently high to cause a sintering of constituents of the charge and to produce a product containing an altered chromite formed by substitution of the basic compound for ferrous oxide of the chromite of the original chromiumbearing material, digesting the altered or substituted chromite in a hot aqueous solution of soda ash with resultant production of a solid residue in which most of the chromium thereof still is in the form of chromite, and recovering said resi due.

5. The method of recovering chromium which comprises forming a charge comprising chromium-bearing material containing ferrous chromite and a basic compound from the group consistin of lime and magnesia capable of substituting for the ferrous oxide of the ferrous chromite to displace the ferrous oxide from chemical combination with the chromic oxide of the ferrous chromite and form an altered chromite, heating the charge to produce a sintered product containing an altered chromite formed by substitution of the basic compound for ferrous oxide of the chromite of the original chromium-bearing material, digesting the altered or substituted chromite in a hot aqueous solution of an alkali-metal compound from the class consisting of sodium hydroxide and soda ash with resultant production of solid residue in which most of the chromium thereof still is in the form of chromite, and recovering said residue.

6. The method of recovering chromium which comprises forming a charge comprising chromium-bearing material containing ferrous chromite sisting of lime and magnesia capable of substituting for the ferrous oxide of the ferrous chromite to displace the ferrous oxide from chemical combination with the chromic oxide of the ferrous chromite and form an altered chromite, heating the charge to produce a molten product containing; an altered chromite formed by substitution of the basic compound for ferrous oxide of the chromite .of the original chromium-bearing material, digesting the altered or substituted chromite in a hot aqueous solution of an alkali metal compound from the class consisting of sodium hydroxide and soda ash with resultant production of a solid residue in which most of the chromiumthereof still is in the form of chromite, and recovering said residue.

, 7., The method of recovering chromium which comprises forming 'a charge comprising chromium-bearing material containing ferrous chromite and a basic compound of the group consisting of lime and magnesia capable of substituting for the ferrous oxide of the ferrous chromite to displacethe ferrous oxide from chemical combination with the chromic oxide of the ferrous chromite and form an altered chromite, heating the charge to a temperature above 1200 C., and at least suiilciently high to cause a sintering of constituents of the charge and to produce a product containing an altered chromite formed by substitution of the basic compound for ferrous oxide of the chromite of the original chromium-bearing material, digesting the altered or substituted chromite in a hot aqueous solution of an alkali metal compound from the class consisting of sodium hydroxide and soda ash with the resultant production of a solid residue in which most of the chromium thereof is in the form of chromite, separating the aqueous liquid from the solid residue and oxidizing the chromium of the residue.

8. The method of recovering chromium which comprises forming a charge comprising chromium-bearing material containing ferrous chromite and a basic compound of the group consist-- ing of lime and magnesia capable of substituting for the ferrous oxide of the ferrous chromite to displace the ferrous oxide from chemical combination with the chromic oxide of the ferrous chromite and form an altered chromite, heating the charge to a temperature above 1200 C., and at least sufliciently high to cause a slntering' of constituents of the charge and to produce a prodr uct containing an altered chromite formed by substitution of the basic compound for ferrous oxide of the chromite of the original chromiumbearing material, digesting the altered or substituted chromite in a hot aqueous solution of an alkali metal compound from the class consisting of sodium hydroxide and soda ash with resultant production of a solid residue in which most of the chromium thereof still is in the form of chromite, separating the aqueous liquid from the solid resichromium-bearing material, digesting the altered chromite in a hot aqueous solution of an alkalimetal compound from the class consisting of sodium hydroxide and soda ash witth resultant production of a solid residue in which most of the chromium thereof still is in the form of chromite,

separating the aqueous liquid from the solid residue, and heating a charge including said solid residue and a compound from the class consisting 'of lime and soda ash in the presence of an 'oxy gen-containing gas to oxidize the chromium of the residue.

10. The method of recovering chromium which comprises forming a charge comprising chromium-bearing material containing ferrous chromite and lime, heating the charge to a temperature above 1200 C. and at least su'fllciently high to cause a sintering of constituents of the charge and to produce a product containing an altered chromite formed by substitution of the lime for ferrous oxide of the chromite oi the original chromium-bearing material, digesting the altered chromite in a hot aqueous solution oi an alkali metal compound from the class consisting of sodium hydroxide and soda ash with resultant production of a solid residue in which most of the chromium thereof still is in the form of chromite, separating the aqueous liquid from the solid resiiue, and heating a charge including said solid resldue,lime and soda ash in the presence of an oxygen-containing gas to oxidize the chromium 'of the residue to chromate. v

11. The method of recovering chromium which comprises forming a charge comprising chromium-bearing material containing ferrous chromite and lime, heating the charge to a tempera-- ture above 1200 C. and at least sufljlciently high to cause a sintering of constituents of the charge an to'produce a product containing unaltered chromite formed b3? substitution of the lime for itrrous oxide of the chromite of the original chromium-bearing material, digesting the altered chromite in a hot aqueous solution of an alkali neetal compound from the class consisting of sodium hydroxide and sodaash with resultant production of a solid residue in which most of the chromium thereof still is in the form of chromite, separating the aqueous liquid from the solid residue, and heating a charge including said solid V residue and soda ash in the presence-of an oxygen-containing gas to oxidize the chromium of 2,sei,ese

sodium hydroxide and soda ash with resultant production of a solid residue in which most of the chromium thereof still is in the form of chromite, separating the aqueous liquid from the solid residue, and heating a charge including said solid residue, lime and soda ash in the presence of an oiwgen-containing gas to oxidize the chromium of the residue to chromate, the soda ash in said last mentioned charge being in amount not substantially more than that required for forming sodium chromate with 10% of the chromium of said charge. i

13. The method of recovering chromium which comprises forming a charge comprising chro' mium-bearing material containing ferrous chromite and a basic compound of the group consisting of lime and magnesia capable of substituting for the ferrous oxide of the ferrous chromite to displace the ferrous oxide from chemical combination with the chromic oxide of the ferrous chromite and form an altered chromite,

heating the charge to a temperature above 1200 C., and at least sufllciently high to cause a sinterlng of constituents of the charge and to produce a product containing an altered chromite formed by substitution of the basic compound for ferrous oxide of the chromite of the original chromium-bearing material, digesting the altered or substituted chromite in a hot aqueoussolution of an alkali metal compound from the class consisting of sodium hydroxide and soda ash with resultant production of a solid residue in which most of the chromium thereof still is in the form of chromite, separating the aqueous liquid from the solid residue, concentrating said residue to produce a concentrate high in chromium, and oxidizing the chromium of the concentrate to produce chromate.

14. The method of recovering chromium which comprises forming a charge comprising chromium-bearing material containing ferrous chromite and a basic compound of the group consisting of lime and magnesia capable of sub- -stituting for the ferrous oxide of the ferrous .us.

chromite to displace the ferrous oxide from chemical combination with the chromic oxide of the ferrous chromite and form an altered chromite, heating the'charge to a temperature above 1200 0., and at least sufllciently high to cause a sintering of constituents of the charge and to produce a product containing an altered chromite formed by substitution of the: basic compound for ferrous oxide. of the chromite of the original ture above 1200" C. and at least sum ciently high to cause a sin'terlng of constituents of the charge and to produce a product containing an altered chromite formedby substitution of the lime for ferrous oxide of the chromite of the original chromium-bearing material, digesting the altered chromite in a hot aqueous solution of an alkali metal compound from the class consisting of chromium-bearing material, digesting the altered or substituted chromite in a hot aqueous solution of an alkali metal compound from the class consisting of sodium hydroxide and soda ash with resultant production of a solid residue in which most of the chromium thereof still is in the form of chromite, separating the aqueous liquid from the solid residue, treating the separated solid residue with a mineral acid to remove contaminates and to form a relatively high-grade chromium concentrate, and oxidizing the chromium of said concentrate. a

or substituted chromite in a hot aqueous solution of an alkali metal compound from the class consisting oi sodium hydroxide and soda ash with mium-bearing material containing ferrous chromite and lime, heating the charge to a temperature between about 1300" C. and 1500' C. and at least sufliciently high to cause a sintering of con- 15 stituents oi the charge and to produce a product containing an altered chromite formed bysubstitution of the lime i'or ferrous oxide of the chromite oi the original chromium-bearing material, digesting the altered or substituted chromite in a hot aqueous solution or an alkali metal compound from the class consisting of sodium hydroxide and soda ash with resultant produc-' tion of a solid residue in which most of the chromium thereof still is in the form of chromite, separating the aqueous liquid from the solid residue, and oxidizing the chromium of the residue at a temperature below 1000 C. to form chromate.

MARvIis J. UDY. 

